Cooking Basics

Before chefs become chefs, they learn cooking basics: how to use a knife, how to cut up a vegetable, how to mind a kitchen, and how to use appliances. It's only then that their efforts seem, well, effortless. You, too, can master your kitchen—but first you have to master the basics. That's where our how-to guide to cooking basics comes in. We've got charts that you can download and keep, guiding you through the right cooking times and temperatures for meat, poultry, and vegetables. We'll show you the differences between saute pans and quart pans (and everything in between), as well as explain the different features in ovens to help you make decisions that fit your needs. The best chefs and home cooks store tools and ingredients where they need them, which is why we've got advice on organizing your utensils and your pantry. We'll also take the confusion out of conversions by showing you how to convert from U.S. measurements to metric. And you won't want to miss our guides to invaluable skills such as zesting and peeling citrus, making broth, and pitting an avocado.